Premier division: 10 things to keep an eye on this weekend

1. Garnacho and Walker set for a new battle

Another northwest showdown might be in the offing when Burnley's Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The winger is finding his feet in west London after his off-season signing from Old Trafford and showcased his skills versus Wolverhampton prior to the international break. His key pass for Pedro Neto combined blistering pace with a perfect along-the-deck delivery. His build-up for Malo Gusto involved cutting inside prior to dinking a delivery toward the far post. His joyous moment with Neto, mirroring his prior embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a reminder of the speed at which things transform. The previous occasion Garnacho took on Walker? When the former netted for United during their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.

Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday half past twelve (kick-offs GMT)

2. Semenyo key to halting Cherries' slump

Antoine Semenyo is getting the entire transfer speculation focus due to a reported £65m escape clause for a potential January departure, the tabloids setting him up for promotion from the Premier League's middle class. This is to be expected for a attacker with six finishes and three setups who is pleasurable to watch. However, his team are in an awkward situation, experiencing a body swap: now it's the bottom-half team West Ham who enter on successive wins, while Bournemouth are down 7-1 on aggregate over their last two fixtures after an promising start to the season. Semenyo was denied from the spot by Emi Martínez in their heavy loss by Aston Villa but taking on a backline without a clean sheet in the league since the start of the season could be the best solution.

Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday 3pm

Danny Welbeck a surprise choice for England

It seemed intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the fixture pause although the Brighton attacker reaches 35 soon. “Despite not having met him, I understand what he could give me,” commented the England boss. “He can be a back-up for Harry [Kane] playing a very orthodox No 9 position.” Gaining the last of his 42 England games in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck might be selected to the World Cup assuming he manages to maintain his goalscoring feats. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal attacker can claim more goals over every other English performer in the Premier League this campaign having six and is anxious to increase that count as Brighton host Brentford in Saturday's match.

Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM

The full-back crucial as playmaker and finisher

The Ryan Sessegnon tale has offered a degree of positivity to Fulham's uneven beginning. The 25-year-old, who rejoined his youth team in 2024 following five challenging years in north London, is now a regular starter, driving down the left flank in the absence of the injured Antonee Robinson. The concern? Having scored twice, he remains their top goalscorer this season as well as Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their top scorer in the last term, has netted once while Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable until 2026 because of hamstring surgery. Sessegnon is also being required to contribute as an assist provider instead of Robinson, who registered ten helpers last season. The Cottagers' next four matches include three from the leading five plus Crystal Palace, who have let in just nine scores in the league to date. Danger looms for a side that have built a standing for consistency in the middle.

Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday 3pm

5. Time for Isak to produce for the Reds

The controversy surrounding Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike in the match with Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's shortcomings during the match as they succumbed to a seventh defeat in 10 games. Arne Slot's team need a prolonged upturn to muscle into the championship chase from their current spot, as well as a significant upturn in results, and the possibility presents itself as seven from their next 10 league games facing clubs at the moment in the bottom half in the standings. The risk is clear from Nottingham Forest, the sole side to inflict a loss at Anfield to Liverpool the previous campaign, however it's not just Liverpool's showing against long balls and counterattacks that is under scrutiny. It is time that Alexander Isak to perform wearing red. The big-money forward has not played at club level for a month following a groin injury during his second appearance in the lineup over a short period in Europe victory at Eintracht Frankfurt. He reappeared as a substitute in the Swedish loss by Switzerland but missed the subsequent meaningless match versus Slovenia to secure his fitness for the upcoming World Cup knockout rounds. A booking in that match would have made him ineligible. Isak may be short of|lacking|deficient